Hamstring strain sidelines the Nets' leading scorer, possibly ending his breakout season. The team faces mounting injuries, fueling debates about shutting down key players.
Thursday afternoon, the Brooklyn Nets announced that their leading scorer, Michael Porter Jr., will be reevaluated in two to three weeks, likely ending the best season of his career.
Porter had missed the previous three games due to an ankle injury, but an MRI Wednesday indicated a strained left hamstring. He becomes the second Nets player likely done for the year, as rookie point guard Egor Demin was sidelined earlier this month.
Wednesday afternoon, Roundtable's Lorenzo Reyna gave his reasoning for keeping Porter out for the remainder of the season, citing his future health and increased opportunity for the Nets' younger players as reasons to shut him down.
In his first season with the Nets, Porter has become one of the top scorers in the NBA, averaging 24.1 points per game, while adding 7.1 rebounds and a career-high 3.0 assists.
He has been perhaps the brightest spot on a Nets team sitting at 17-52, the third-worst record in the East.
Thus far, the Nets are the clear winner in their acquisition for Porter, as he is averaging more than two times as many points as Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson (11.8), who the Nuggets swapped Porter for in June of last year.
Not to mention, the Nets also acquired a 2032 unprotected first-rounder, which could prove valuable as three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic will be on the backend of his career.
In early January, Porter talked about his improved numbers and the change in mindset coming from playing on a contending team with great players like Jokic and first-time All-Star Jamal Murray.
“I think whenever you have a team that talented, a championship-caliber team, there's going to be guys that sacrifice. Some of the shots and some of the ways they probably could have used me, we had enough good players to where we could create a good shot in a different way..." Porter said. "But it's part of the NBA, it's part of being adaptable, and it's part of being on a really good team for a lot of years. You just got to accept your role and do what the coach asks in whatever situation you're in.”
Porter has become much more aggressive, shooting nearly five more shots than his previous season-high of 13.6 field goal attempts per game.
His scoring increase and added responsibility has kept his shooting splits relatively stable, shooting at 46.3-36.3-85.9 splits.
The free-throw line was a big tool for Porter in his first season as a No. 1 option, doubling his attempts per game and shooting a career-high 85.9-percent at the charity stripe.
Thus far, Porter's teammates have done well to fill his void, as rookie guard Ben Saraf has enjoyed the best four-game period of his rookie season.
Monday, in the Nets' 114-95 loss against the Portland Trail Blazers, Saraf scored a career-high 15 points, while adding four steals, playing his best game as a pro.
Porter's stellar season has proved he can carry a big scoring load at an efficient clip, but moving forward, his health should be prioritized.
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